At least 1 dead, 24 wounded in Akron mass shooting at Kelly Avenue and 8th Avenue
At least one person is dead and 24 others are wounded in a mass shooting just after midnight Sunday at a large outdoor party at Kelly and 8th avenues in Akron.
A 27-year-old man died in the incident, according to a news release from the Akron Police Department. According to a spokesman from Summa Health, he was dead when he reached the hospital.
According to spokespeople from Cleveland Clinic Akron General and Akron City, one patient at each hospital was listed in critical condition.
Akron Police Capt. Michael Miller said he was not aware of any arrests in connection to the shooting, and preliminary investigations indicate this was a targeted incident.
"We don't believe there is a risk (to the public) at this point," Miller said. "Inspectors have been working around the clock, trying to identify what happened, who was there, who had a role."
Police responded to several 911 calls reporting shots fired and multiple people injured.
Some neighborhood residents who spoke to the Beacon Journal later Sunday morning described a scene of happiness and celebration suddenly giving way to chaos as bullets started flying.
Some people were trampled as the crowd tried to flee from the scene, one eyewitness said.
From party to chaos: Witnesses share what they saw at mass shooting on Akron's Kelly Avenue
Soon afterward, multiple victims started showing up at local hospitals.
A firearm and several dozen casings were recovered from the scene, according to Akron police.
Police originally indicated as many as 27 people were shot, but later revised the number to 25.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, Police Chief Brian Harding release statement
Mayor Shammas Malik and Police Chief Brian Harding released a joint statement to the media Sunday morning:
“This morning, our city is reeling after the devastation of senseless violence. With more than two dozen victims, the pain and trauma reverberates across all of Akron today as we search for answers. As with all acts of violence in our city, our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones."
In the statement, Malik and Harding encouraged anyone with information on the shootings to contact police.
"For those who have information about this horrific shooting, we need you to speak up in order to prevent further violence and retaliation," the mayor and police chief stated. "This can be done anonymously."
Anyone with information is asked to call the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS or text TIPSCO with your tips to 274637.
Reaction to Akron shooting: Officials horrified, devastated
Former councilwoman says shooting happened at large birthday party
Tara Mosley Weems lives right across the street from where the Sunday morning shooting occurred. She said she heard multiple shots of gunfire that sounded like they came from two different types of guns. Her cameras caught people running, screaming and driving away from the scene.
Mosley Weems formerly served as councilwoman for Akron’s Ward 5 but declined to run again for that role in 2023 to seek the Democratic nomination for mayor.
Mosley Weems said the large, overnight party, which she estimates brought out about 100 people, was to celebrate the birthday of a local man whom she said she has known since he was a small child.
“He’s a very likeable young man — very likeable, good kid,” Mosley Weems said. “Everybody knows their family. Most of us have lived in that neighborhood our entire lives. All of us really have.”
Mosley Weems said the police were at the party about a half an hour before the shooting to ask partygoers to move their cars.
She cited the need for residents to report violence, adding that her own house was shot at twice. That was in 2021.
“If you know something, say something. And this is the reason why, during my time on council, that I pushed for Ring cameras in the neighborhood.”
Cleveland Clinic says it treated 9 patients from early morning shooting
Beth Hertz, a spokeswoman for Cleveland Clinic Akron General, confirmed that the hospital received nine patients who had sustained gunshot wounds early Sunday and that one patient was still in critical condition as of late Sunday afternoon.
One patient was admitted to a regular floor after surgery, she said. Four more were admitted with injuries. Three were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and were released.
The Emergency Department was put on hard lockdown shortly after midnight. The lockdown was lifted at 3:26 a.m.
Akron City Hospital treats 15 patients from mass shooting
According to a spokesman with Akron City Hospital, the facility saw 15 patients who were at the shooting, including the man who died. Thirteen of the patients had non-life threatening injuries, and several have either been discharged or are in the process of being discharged.
More: How is a mass shooting defined in the U.S.?
Where is Kelly Avenue, and what Akron neighborhood is it in?
The Kelly Avenue vicinity where the shooting occurred is in the city's East Akron neighborhood. The location is several blocks south of Interstate 76 in a residential area not far from Joy Park and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. headquarters.
Shooting follows trail of other recent gun violence in Joy Park area
The Joy Park area in East Akron has been the scene of at least three other shootings in the last two months:
Around 9:35 p.m. on May 21, Akron police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1400 block of Minson Way. A 19-year-old man who was shot in the torso was hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds, police said.
On the evening of May 2, police responded to a shooting that left a 15-year-old girl with non-life-threatening wounds at Joy Park Homes. Police reported on May 16 that two teenagers were arrested and charged with that shooting.
Around 4:37 a.m. on April 4, police were called to the 400 block of Weeks Street, where a 35-year-old man was shot in the neck. He was taken to a hospital with a non-life-threatining wound, police said. A nearby home and a car were hit with gunfire as well.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron mass shooting leaves at least 1 dead, 24 injured
